Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of energy recovery, more particularly to the recovery of parasitic energy losses incurred in vehicles, and conversion of that recovered energy into useable energy such as electrical energy.
Background of the Art
Wheeled and other tractive vehicles, such as automobiles, trucks, motorcycles and bicycles require an energy source in order to propel the vehicle. For example, in an automobile, the vehicle employs an energy source, typically either an internal combustion engine or a stored energy and motor source, such as is present in an electric vehicle, to enable powered rotation of a wheel to thereby move the vehicle incorporating the wheel over terrain, such as a highway. In a human powered vehicle, such as a bicycle, the power source is a rider or riders.
In such wheeled vehicles, the vehicle typically moves over an uneven surface, which may be caused by non-uniformity in the road surface created when the paving surface is placed over uneven terrain, or unintended unevenness caused by road erosion, debris on the roadway, or by the traversing of non paved surfaces, such as a track or pathway. As the vehicle traverses such terrain, this energy is lost parasitically, i.e., it is not contributing to the movement of the vehicle over the terrain. One common location where such energy is lost is in a vehicle suspension wherein the vehicle body is elastically coupled to the tractive elements of the vehicle, such as the vehicle wheels, in order to ameliorate the effect of the unevenness in the surface over which the vehicle is traversing on the frame, cargo or passenger portion of the vehicle.
In one common vehicle suspension, the frame is coupled to each of the wheels, or opposed ends of the axles, through an elastic member comprised of an axle side element, a frame side element, and an elastic coupling between the axle and frame side elements. There is additionally provided alignment and securement elements, to maintain a desired alignment of the axle and frame side elements, while the elastic element enables the axle and frame side elements to move toward and away from one another. As the vehicle encounters uneven terrain, the wheel will tend to move in the direction of, or away from, the frame portion of the vehicle, and the elastic element compresses or extends to reduce the motion of the frame upwardly and downwardly as the vehicle moves over the driving surface. Thus, when a surface protrusion, for example, a low hump or rise is encountered by the vehicle, the wheel will move in the direction of the frame, but a substantial portion of the energy and motion of the impact of the tire and wheel against the hump or rise will be taken up by the elastic element, such that the frame will become closer to the immediate driving surface, while the wheel remains substantially equidistant from the driving surface. Once the vehicle passes the hump or rise, the elastic element is moved in the opposite direction. When a depression is encountered in the driving surface, the opposite effect occurs, and the vehicle frame becomes further extended from the immediate driving surface, whereas the wheel maintains the same position vis a vis the driving surface, and once past the depression, the vehicle frame and body become closer together, compressing the elastic member. The expansion and contraction of the elastic member results in parasitic energy loss in the form of waste heat, the energy used to create the heat ultimately being supplied by the vehicle power source.